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Abstract
Objective: To determine the effect of the changing fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) criteria on the developmental profiles of children diagnosed with an Autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Methods: This study examines the effect of DSM-5 changes on impairment profiles of a population of 2054 at-risk toddlers aged 17–36 months using the Battelle Developmental Inventory, Second Edition.
Results: Toddlers diagnosed with an ASD according to the DSM-5 were found to represent a more impaired population compared to those who qualified for a diagnosis of an ASD based on the DSM-IV-TR, but not the DSM-5. The group diagnosed according to the DSM-IV-TR represented a population of toddlers who were more impaired than atypically developing peers.
Conclusions: The proposed changes to the DSM will likely result in those diagnosed with an ASD according to the new criteria representing a more functionally impaired group. Implications of this proposed change are discussed.